Universities on their own



DUBAI // The Government will leave it to market forces to decide how many universities the UAE needs, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research has said, indicating that those that cannot compete would have to close. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak said it was not for the authorities to restrict growth in the tertiary sector and insisted universities should be free to open and compete for students. If growth is too rapid in the sector, it would be checked by the closure of unsuccessful institutions, he said. Speaking outside the 17th meeting of presidents, vice presidents and directors of GCC higher education institutions, Sheikh Nahyan said branch campuses of overseas universities represented "healthy competition" for government institutions.

"It's like everything else in the UAE - it's open and the market determines supply and demand," Sheikh Nahyan said. "It's not for us to say how many we need. If there are too many, they will stop. "Hopefully the UAE will become a hub for good quality education for not only the UAE, but for the region and the Indian subcontinent, and will have many students from different parts of the world." In a speech introducing the conference, Sheikh Nahyan said the continuous growth in student numbers meant maintaining university standards was a real challenge that had been accompanied by rapid growth of private universities. "Here lies another challenge, which is to ensure the standards of quality in the performance of these private universities." The higher education sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, partly due to the opening of free zones where branches can be set up without a licence from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Dubai's free zones contain more than 25 local branches of foreign higher education institutions catering to 10,000 students. Within a decade, there are expected to be 40 institutions with 40,000 students in the zones, while Ras al Khaimah hopes to have similar student numbers in its education free zone. Some institutions have expressed concern about the rate of growth, warning that too much expansion could be detrimental to existing institutions. Raymi van der Spek, vice president of administration at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, said the recent financial crisis showed the risks of unregulated markets, in whatever sector. With 3,300 students at Knowledge Village, the university's branch campus is thought to be the largest in the UAE. "That's an unregulated market coming to extremely poor decisions and outcomes," Mr van der Spek said. "With the same model in terms of the tertiary education sector, I don't believe it would be remiss of Government to take a somewhat more active role in providing a regulatory environment that ensures that the numbers are right. "No regulation will produce boom and bust and there will be no winners." Prof Jim Mienczakowski, the head of higher education at the Abu Dhabi Education Council, said Sheikh Nahyan was right to suggest the Government could not place a limit on the number of universities. "We will always need institutions to meet the current and future needs of the economy and the emirate. It's an expanding nation and it will need growth," Prof Mienczakowski said. Prof Brian Smart, executive dean of the Dubai International Academic City campus of Heriot-Watt University, a Scottish institution, said that "even within this free zone there were checks to ensure quality was maintained". "One word of caution we would give is that to start up is one thing, to be sustainable is another," Prof Smart said, adding that when institutions failed it meant students would have to find another university. "That's the one down side to letting the market decide." dbardsley@thenational.ae

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association

French Touch

Carla Bruni

(Verve)

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Results for Stage 2

Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race

Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)

Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

The bio

Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales

Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow

Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades

Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus

Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga

Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez

Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now